After Cambridge Mayor Doug Craig was granted permission to speak about rapid transit in Waterloo Region by the Superior Court on Monday, he wasted no time in doing just that.

“I think it’s very obvious that people have concerns about the LRT,” Craig told CTV News on Wednesday.

“We have to start focusing the discussion on the City of Cambridge with regard to costs, as well as the lack of development that will take place.”

As a result of those concerns, Craig plans to ask regional staff to report on the costs of stopping the rapid transit process immediately and the experiences of communities like Toronto and Ottawa that have cancelled major transit projects in the recent past.

 “To simply ask the question ‘How much does it cost or to change midstream, going to a bus rapid question, I think is a very straightforward question,” he said.

With regional chair Ken Seiling and North Dumfries Mayor Rob Deutschmann unable to vote on or discuss rapid transit due to their own conflicts of interest, Craig would need a majority of the 13 remaining councillors to back his proposal for the report to be issued.

He says he would be “very surprised” if his motion wasn’t to pass, but a CTV News survey of regional councillors suggested little support for his idea.

Nine of 13 councillors said they did not endorse Craig’s motion and continue to support the current rapid transit plan.

The other four councillors – Waterloo Mayor Brenda Halloran, Woolwich Mayor Todd Cowan, Kitchener Coun. Geoff Lorentz and Cambridge Coun. Claudette Millar – could not be reached Wednesday afternoon.

Interviewed before most councillors had responded, Craig said he would be “very surprised” if his motion didn’t pass.

“Why does asking the question really cause people to get their backs up so much in terms of not wanting to answer it?” he said.

Among those opposed to Craig’s motion was Kitchener Mayor Carl Zehr, who called the idea “wrong-headed” and “in essence a vote of non-confidence in the project in the first place”.

“We can’t turn the clock back on this. It would be a waste of time and money and energy,” he said.

Other councillors voiced similar opinions.

“We are too far along to cancel anything,” said Cambridge Coun. Jane Brewer in an email.

Craig says whatever the outcome of his motion when it reaches regional council, he will continue to ask questions about rapid transit.